


Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

by andthestarsthatshine



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-09
Updated: 2014-02-09
Packaged: 2018-01-11 18:31:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1176448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andthestarsthatshine/pseuds/andthestarsthatshine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Title from the John Mayer song. So prepare for angst. (Rated M for language.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

'It's not supposed to be like this!' Mindy screamed at Danny.

'Well how the fuck is it supposed to be? This isn't some shitty movie where it all ends in happily ever after. This is real life. This is us!'

'I know that, Danny! But it shouldn't be like... _this_.'

'What? Fighting near enough every damn day? Do you think this is how I wanted things to work out?'

'Then what did you want?'

'I wanted a future with you! Fuck, Min, I thought you knew that much at least!'

'That's not enough!'

'It's not enough that I want a future with you?! Are you kidding me right now? That's more than most of the dicks you dated ever wanted!'

'That was a low blow, Castellano. That was a really fucking low blow.'

Danny looked down at his feet, momentarily feeling a sense of shame before pushing it down. He wasn't going to back down this easily. Not this time.

Mindy crossed her arms, waiting on an apology that was never coming. All they ever did was apologise after a fight like this. Even when it got really bad, they always came back to each other in the end, making promises that this time around it'll be different and they'll try harder. She knew deep down that this wouldn't end the same way it always did. There became a point where they knew that there was nothing left to hold onto, every fight, every apology, every promise tearing everything apart by its roots in their fruitless attempts to start again. They had reached a point where nothing would grow anymore, however hard they tried. 

She moved to his kitchen, in search for a bottle of wine. She couldn't do this sober.

'Hey, where are you going? We're not done here.'

'Well, excuse me if I need some liquid courage right now! Besides you weren't even saying anything...'

Danny sighed as he dragged a hand down his face. He thought for a moment before making his way to the kitchen and taking out two glasses.

'Can we try to do this right? Calmly? Without yelling at each other?'

'I can...I doubt you can though,' Mindy said almost under her breath as Danny poured her a glass of wine.

He slammed the bottle back down on to the counter. 'MINDY!'

'See! It took you less than five seconds to start shouting again!'

'Because you're being impossible right now!'

'I'm being impossible?!'

'Yes. You are!'

'Well, what do you want from me, Danny?!'

'I want you to meet me half way!'

'What?'

'We never communicate properly and every time I try, you do everything in your power to push my buttons, to get me riled up over anything and it always ends the same way!'

'Oh, you want more communication now? I didn't realise you were the woman of this relationship!'

'I swear to God, Mindy...'

'All this shit about being a real man and-'

'See this is exactly what I'm talking about! You just have to be a bitch about everything!'

'Excuse me?! Did you just call me a bitch?'

'You're not- you don't get it. You're not one but you can be when you want to be.'

'So am I or am I not a bitch?'

'Mindy, please.'

'No, Danny! Answer the fucking question!'

'Mindy...'

'ANSWER ME!'

'YES! Ok, sometimes you are. When we get like this, you are!'

'Well, thank you very much, you fucking dick!' Mindy grabbed her glass and the bottle of wine, marching over to the couch and sinking into it.

Danny sighed again and made his way over to the couch. He stood at the other end, looking down at her but she turned her head away from him.

'Mindy...' he sat down and reached for her, laying a hand on her arm. She shrugged him off without her usual force but he didn't bother trying again.

'Just don't, Danny.' He could hear from the strangled quality of her voice that she was crying and he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and soothe the pain away. But he knew then that she was no longer his to hold.

She moved to rummage through her purse and fished out her phone.

'What are you doing?' Danny asked.

'I'm texting Gwen to pick me up.'

'Min, come on-'

'No, Danny.'

'She won't come.'

'And what makes you so sure?'

'Because you do this every time we have a fight and you've always come back within hours.'

'Days.'

'That was one time.'

'What makes you so sure I'm coming back?'

'I'm not saying you will, I'm saying she'll think you will.'

'So you don't think I'll come back?'

'I-I don't know. I just don't see it-'

'Do you _want_  me to come back?!'

'I don't think what I want matters anymore.'

'What is that supposed to mean?!'

'It means I think we've reached the end of the line and you know it too.' Danny could no longer muster the strength to raise his voice; all he could do was quietly accept the fate of their relationship.

'Convenient for you, isn't it?'

'What?' He looked up at her, his eyes full of unspoken questions.

'I always knew you were looking for an out.' She moved to grab her coat and he was quick to block her exit before she could leave without an explanation. 'Danny, move.'

'No.'

'Danny-'

'No. Not until you explain what you meant by that.'

Mindy tried moving Danny aside but to no avail. She sighed while looking anywhere but at him; she could feel his intense gaze burning into her anyway.

'I just don't think you were ever all in. It felt like you always had one foot out of the door.' She finally looked up at him and saw the hurt in his eyes.

'Mindy. I was always all in.'

'Well, it never felt like it!'

'How?'

'It felt like I cared more than you did. It felt like I loved you more than you did. It felt like you were just going through the motions because you figured being with me was better than being lonely.'

'How can you say that?'

'It's true, isn't it?'

'Not even remotely.'

'Don't lie. It's too late for lies now so you might as well just tell me the truth.' She looked away again, bracing herself for the words that she knew would signal the end of them.

He placed his hands gently on her arms and squeezed lightly, forcing her to look up at him. She was surprised to see the tears pooling in his eyes as he took in a deep yet shaky breath. 'Min, the truth is I loved you-I  _still_ love you more than I've ever loved anyone. You were everything to me and you always will be no matter what happens. Don't you dare think otherwise.'

'Danny...'

'I'm telling the truth, I promise you.' He moved to lift her hand up towards him as he placed a light kiss on her knuckles.

She gripped onto his shirt as she felt the sobs rack through her body, clinging on to whatever was left of him. He was quick to envelop her in his arms, placing soothing kisses wherever he could reach. 

They stood there for a while before Mindy moved back a little. She searched his eyes without knowing what she was looking for anymore before she leaned up to kiss him. He responded immediately, deepening the kiss and making an effort to savour this feeling. He knew it would be the last time and the way she kissed him desperately let him know she knew it too.

They parted for the last time and, without another word, he moved aside to let her open the door. She quietly mentioned getting the rest of her things later before slipping out of his apartment and gently closing the door behind her.


End file.
